How low will Barack Obama's approval rating go?

The latest Rasmussen Poll finds that 23% of Americans strongly approve of the job Barack Obama is doing, while 44% strongly disapprove. Rasmussen also points out that the President’s approval rating drops when he pushes the health care bill. I’m not an expert, but do you think that means that most people are against the current health care reform bill? Not surprisingly, Rasmussen also found that 50% of Americans are less likely to vote for a Congressmen who supports health care reform.

It looks like conservatives won’t have to worry about throwing out the leftists in 2010 and 2012. They’re going to take care of that all by themselves. I just hope they don’t wreck the place too much before then.

Barack Obama's approval rating continues to drop.

The latest Gallup Poll shows that more Americans disapprove of Barack Obama’s performance than approve. The poll shows that 47% of Americans disapprove of his performance, while just 46% approve. This is just the latest sign of the slow erosion of the President’s support.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Barack Obama’s approval rating drop into the high 30% range. If the health care bill passes, especially without being voted on by the House, his approval rating will take a massive hit. This will only be compounded once debates start on immigration reform.

If you’re hoping for Republicans to take back the House and increase their numbers in the Senate, there’s little doubt that will happen this year. Health care, immigration reform (amnesty), and their weak handling of terrorism will almost certainly guarantee that Obama’s popularity drops, while Congressional Democrats suffer by association. This might have been unheard of a few months ago, but I actually wouldn’t be surprised in Barack Obama faced a primary challenge in 2012.

The same poll found that nearly half of Americans believe GM will need another bailout, 61% believe Congress should drop healthcare reform, and 66% believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. It doesn’t look like American’s are fond of the Obama agenda.

Since Scott Brown’s win in the Massachusetts Senate race, some Democrats have seemed more willing to compromise. They recognize that with their 41st vote, Republicans will need to have some say in legislation. Of course, that might not stop them from attempting to bribe two Republicans into voting for a watered-down bill. I don’t think it’s likely they could get two Republicans to travel to the dark side, but you never know.

At any rate, attempts to continue to push Barack Obama’s plan will end up hurting the Democrats in November. Barack Obama’s thirst for a larger, more intrusive government will decimate the ranks of Democrats in November and render them ineffective in the second half of the President’s term. They will blame Republicans for not getting anything done, but in the end, they will have no one to blame but themselves.

For one thing, it illustrates that the President’s popularity is sinking steadily, and that Congressmen will not be cast aside for disagreeing with his administration. When the $787 billion stimulus bill was passed, I had the feeling that the President’s popularity helped suppress some dissent. The President will not have that luxury in the near future.

If you are a sensible person who opposes the current health care bill, cap-and-trade legislation, and is hoping for more republican Congressmen in 2010, this poll is highly encouraging. Finally, the American people are starting to figure out who they really elected.

The President has seen a consistent downward trend in his approval ratings. His waning popularity could bode well for the defeat of the health care and cap-and-trade bills, among others. There will also likely be less pressure on moderates to blindly follow his lead. If his ratings were this low when the stimulus bill were being debated, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t have been passed, or would have at least looked very different.

The President’s approval rating might also be a harbinger of the 2010 midterm elections. If a growing number of Americans are dissatisfied with his policies, why would they continue to vote members of his party into office?

The health care debate will begin in the Senate this week, and there has been talk about starting work on comprehensive immigration reform in January. Both of these bills have the potential to further erode the President’s approval ratings. Think about it: The unemployment rate is over 10%, and we have a health care bill that will increase expenses for businesses, and an immigration bill that will probably include amnesty for illegal aliens who are taking American jobs. How do you think those bills will sit with those who are unemployed, or struggling to make ends meet?